The Lurching Train
by kamenashi
Summary: The Nishiura baseball team is on their way to training camp. Abe and Mihashi have one roller coaster of a train ride.


Note: Takes place before the Bijou-dai Sayama game. Slightly-OOC!Mihashi ahead; be warned. Please read and review, thank you~

It was a hot summer day and the boys of Nishiura's baseball team were at the train station. They were going to attend another baseball camp with several other teams.

Mihashi, the Nishiura ace pitcher, fidgeted nervously as they all waited for the train to arrive to take them to their destination. The team mates surrounding him were all holding conversations amongst themselves, but Mihashi paid no attention. He kept glancing around, nervous and excited. He wanted to keep practicing. He needed to become a better pitcher so they wouldn't replace him. He needed to become a better pitcher so his catcher Abe would not grow tired of being his partner. He needed to become a better pitcher so his balls wouldn't get hit. He needed to become a better pitcher to strengthen the battery he had with Abe. He wanted to keep throwing balls to Abe; that was all that really mattered deep down.

"Mihashi! Oi - Mihashi! The train's going to leave without you!"

The first-year pitcher glanced up. His eyes widened in alarm. While he had been lost in thought, the train had gotten there and the rest of the team was already on board. He didn't want to be left behind while everyone went to train at camp. Panicking, he began to run towards the doors that were starting to close. Except he tripped over his own feet and was falling face forward almost as if in slow motion.

Before his face could meet the ground, someone pulled him to his feet by grabbing the strap of his bag. The person shoved him on the train and followed inside. The train doors slammed shut and Mihashi spun around to see if whoever pushed him was all right. A wave of terror swept over him when he saw who it was.

"A-A-A-Abe-k-kun..."

His catcher looked at him with wide, livid eyes. The hands that shoved Mihashi through the doors were outstretched in front of him, twitching as if eager to strangle the small boy he just pushed onto the train. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING STARING OFF INTO SPACE? DID YOU WANT TO MISS THE TRAIN AND SUMMER CAMP?" Abe's chest was going in and out as if he had just hit a home run.

Fidgeting and nervous, Mihashi looked around at his team mates, as if expecting someone to save him. They were all standing and talking amongst themselves, unfazed by Abe's screaming - he did that a lot, after all. The train was more crowded than usual. Mihashi glanced back at Abe, eyes wide with fear. His catcher's fingertips were so close that they grazed across Mihashi's neck and he jumped. Slowly, he shook his head. "N-n-no... I... I want to go to camp with everyone..." he said quietly, barely able to hear himself over all the talking in the train.

Abe sighed and lowered his hands to his sides. He felt bad for yelling and upsetting his pitcher. He always felt bad, but couldn't control his anger as much as he would have liked. He needed Mihashi in top form; they'd be facing a particularly difficult school after their training camp. "Just pay attention next time," Abe said harshly.

"O-o-okay... I'm sorry," Mihashi replied quietly. Just then the train gave a great lurch and he was pushed forward right into his catcher. Someone much larger than the pitcher fell against his back and Mihashi let out a noise of surprise against Abe's shoulder. He didn't realize that he was gripping onto the other boy as hard as he could.

Everyone shuffled to compose themselves and once the weight was off his back, Mihashi pulled back from Abe with crimson cheeks and fidgeted yet again, using his hands to smooth out his clothes. "S-s-sorry..." he muttered over the sea of apologies heard all over the train as people winced and rubbed various parts of their bodies.

Abe was quite flustered himself. His cheeks were nearly as red as Mihashi's. "Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, eyeing the smaller boy suspiciously, as if expecting him to lie.

"N-n-no... I'm f-fine," Mihashi said, squirming. The way Abe was looking at him was scary. It was as though he was positive the pitcher was lying and wouldn't accept "no" as an answer.

After several more seconds of staring, Abe looked away. Then he did something unexpected. He grabbed Mihashi's shoulders and moved him around until they had switched positions. Now Mihashi was against the doors and Abe was amongst the crowd, rubbing his back against their team mates. He did not let go of the pitcher's shoulders, as if afraid the other would somehow injure himself once let go.

Eyes wide in surprise, Mihashi's mouth was in the shape of a diamond and he gaped stupidly at Abe. Before he could think of anything to say, the train gave another great lurch and Abe (who had been caught off-guard, busy staring at the dumb look on his partner's face) collided hard against him so that the small pitcher felt his back crash painfully against the hard doors. That was nothing in comparison to Abe, who had three people pressed against his own back.

As people steadied themselves, apologies once again echoed all over the train. Abe's hands were gripping Mihashi's shoulders tightly and Mihashi was clinging against the front of Abe's shirt, his hands holding on so hard that they were turning very white. Their entire bodies were pressed firmly together.

It was difficult to say who was blushing more; Abe (who felt something stirring below his waist at this sudden new contact) or Mihashi (who was always blushing anyway, but thought he felt something hard near his crotch and briefly wondered if Abe was wearing a cup).

Not looking at the other, Abe let go of the pitcher's shoulders and forced Mihashi's tight grip on his shirt to loosen by grabbing the small boy's hands with his own. He pressed their palms together to find that Mihashi's hands felt the same as his. Abe slowly let go of them, not saying anything.

"A-A-Abe-kun, are you hurt anywhere? M-maybe we should switch places again..." Mihashi trailed off after suddenly finding the ability to once again speak.

The pitcher shook his head. "I'm fine; I can't risk you getting hurt," Abe said, once again eyeing Mihashi as though sure that he was injured.

Mihashi squirmed around as usual. "B-b-but what about Abe-kun? If he gets injured, I won't be able to pitch any more. It's Abe-kun that makes me able to pitch b-because he gives me s-signs..."

"I won't get sick or injured at all for the next three years, remember?" Abe said angrily. "But if you're really that determined to get hurt then we can switch spots. I have no problem catching Oki's balls."

As soon as the nearly-shouted words left his mouth, Abe knew he shouldn't have said them due to the fact that Mihashi took everything the wrong way.

Eyes wide, the pitcher sunk back against the doors as if wishing to fall through them. "A-Abe-kun doesn't want to catch my balls b-because Oki-kun is better... I-I'm not as good as Oki-kun..."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SA-"

The train came to a halt and the doors opened so suddenly that Abe grabbed Mihashi hard by the wrist and pulled him against his chest, wrapping his arms firmly around the smaller boy as people shuffled past them, going in and out the doors.

Mihashi (who had been very close to falling backwards out of the train) pressed his face against Abe's shoulder, trembling from head to toe.

It was only after the doors had closed and the train was once again moving that Abe let go of the shaking boy, moving him back towards the doors and gripping his shoulders.

"Look at me."

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Mihashi looked at the catcher. Tears filled his eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.

A surge of guilt flooded over Abe. "Listen... that's not what I meant, okay? I take back what I said, so just forget it."

The pitcher nodded in the same way he did when he understood Abe's signs. The dark-haired boy had a feeling that Mihashi would keep thinking about it, though.

"How much do you weigh today?" Abe asked, trying to change the subject. He looked at his pitcher with narrow eyes.

"51 kg..." Mihashi said quietly, feet shifting, eyes wide, mouth diamond-shaped.

"WHAT? WHY HAVE YOU BEEN LOSING WEIGHT?"

Several people around them turned their heads to peer in their direction. Panting heavily, Abe ignored them while Mihashi sunk back against the doors again. Without waiting for an answer, Abe spoke once more. "Whatever; Shinooka will need to feed you extra well at camp."

Abe gripped Mihashi's shoulders even tighter, feeling angry and on the verge of screaming. He didn't dare speak again though, and instead looked right into the pitcher's eyes.

Blushing as always, Mihashi stared at the catcher. Then the train gave its biggest lurch yet and Abe fell completely against Mihashi, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy so his back wouldn't hit the doors too hard.

During the process, Abe's lips had fallen against Mihashi's. From a distance, it looked rather like a passionate kiss between two embracing lovers. Reality was not that kind, however.

Both of them had their eyes wide open, both looking equally alarmed. Abe felt heat rising to his cheeks and down below his waist. He wondered how much more cliché the whole situation could get. Closing his eyes and mentally sighing, he went to pull away from the pitcher.

Much to Abe's surprise, Mihashi grabbed a fistful of Abe's shirt and held him close, pressing their lips more firmly together as their bodies collided again due to the moving train. That simple yet powerful kiss was enough to make the catcher's head spin as something stirred below his waist.

Mihashi loosened his grip and pulled his head away. He thought he felt Abe's cup again, but wasn't too sure because something was hard in his own pants despite the fact that he definitely was not wearing a cup. His cheeks were bright red, their bodies still pressed together. "T-T-Tajima-kun told me that's what people do when they l-l-l-like someone and when someone is important to them. I-I guess I'm important and special to Abe-kun. A-Abe-kun is very important to me also..."

The urge to hurt Tajima was too strong to ignore. Abe pushed his way through people and punched the clean up hitter hard in the back before making his way back to Mihashi.

"...p-plus I liked how A-Abe-kun's l-l-lips felt..." Mihashi said, cheeks bright pink as usual. "A-Abe-kun's lips and m-mine t-t-touched..."

A slightly amused smirk appeared on Abe's lips. "You can do it again if you want."

"R-really?"

Then, making Abe surprised for the second time, Mihashi placed both hands on Abe's shoulders and pressed their lips firmly together. He wanted to make sure Abe knew how important he was to him. There was no one else he'd be able to pitch to.

It felt oddly natural to be kissing his pitcher. Abe wrapped his arms around Mihashi's small body and tugged him close (away from the doors) so once again their bodies were pressed so tightly together that it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began.

When Abe pulled him close, something stirred in Mihashi. He let out a noise that was between a growl and a moan and before he knew what he was doing or what had caused him to do it, he somehow forced his tongue into his catcher's mouth.

Abe briefly wondered if it was possible to die from shock as he pressed his tongue against Mihashi's, quite enjoying the sensation spreading over his body. His pants were exceptionally tight and he felt that Mihashi was in a similar predicament.

Mihashi felt people brush past him to get off the train (he didn't even realize it had stopped) but he didn't care, his tongue dancing with Abe's. It was only when he heard Hanai say "hey, we're getting out here as well!" that Mihashi unglued himself from Abe. He felt startled and very out of breath.

Abe was feeling exactly the same as Mihashi. Trying to get a grip on himself, he spun the smaller boy around and put his hands on the pitcher's shoulders to steer him out of the doors.

Summer training camp was certainly going to be interesting, Abe thought, as the train doors closed behind the battery.


End file.
